


Violets

by sea_levi



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Belphie is a little shit, F/M, I wrote this as part of a challenge between myself and my roommate this October, MC/Yuki is their own character, Other, but I still like it so ig it's good enough to publish lmao, florist au kinda, no beta we die like men, this happens after the main plot of OM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:08:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27496204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sea_levi/pseuds/sea_levi
Summary: Lately, Aria has seen a strange man visiting her flower shop--he never speaks nor buys anything, but he seems particularly drawn to the violets at the front of the shop. Something about this stranger fascinates her; for a moment, Aria could question if he's even human at all.A florist AU fic that I wrote while I was still in my Belphie phase for a fictober challenge my roommate and I came up with.
Relationships: Beelzebub/Main Character (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Belphegor (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27





	Violets

I’d seen him around the shop several times in the past few days. He always seemed bored and drowsy, but his eyes constantly drifted to the vibrant displays at the front of my store; he seemed partial toward the violets, but never bothered to buy any. Without fail, he’d always let out a small yawn and turn away, his head of black-and-white hair vanishing within moments into the bustle of the city. It was confusing and frustrating.

“Say, Aria, what’s gotten into you lately?” Kelsey asked; she was my co-worker and the co-owner of A&K Flowers. She always wore a vibrantly-colored lily in her hair to show off her favorite flowers to the customers—today’s was orange. “You’ve been a bit grumpier than usual this afternoon. Did you catch some aphids on the roses again?”

“No, no. Don’t worry about it,” I replied with a faint smile before allowing my frustrations to flow out. “I’m just… confused. You’ve seen him too, right? That sleepy-looking man who stops to look at the violets, but never buys anything?”

Kelsey blinked. “Huh? Oh… now that you mention it, I guess I have seen a guy hovering around them the past few days. Are you mad that he hasn’t bought anything? Lots of people just love to look at flowers, too, you know.”

“I know, I know!” I was exasperated. “It’s just… I feel like there’s more to him than meets the eye, you know? Like, there’s a reason he’s so drawn to the violets in particular—and I want to know.”

“So… you’re saying you want to get to know him, huh? Do you have a crush on the guy?” Kelsey teased with a wistful grin. “That’s totally cute! You should say something to him tomorrow! I’m sure he’ll stop by again, after all.”

“It’s—no! I don’t have a crush on him at all! I’m just… I don’t know. It’s hard to pin down why I’m so frustrated with him,” I exhaled and ran my fingers through my hair; I had to focus. “Something about him feels different, and I want to understand that.”

Kelsey chuckled a bit. “Well, whatever you say,” she waved as she walked to the far side of the shop to tend the pink tulips that had come in the night before. “I still think you should try and say hello, at least. Maybe then you’ll figure out what about him has you so wound up.”

“Hm…” I pondered the thought for a moment, allowing my gaze to wander toward the clusters of fresh violets relaxing in the gentle afternoon light.

——————————————

The next day came far too quickly, inviting with it a brisk autumn breeze that sent shivers down my spine. I walked with my right hand clutched firmly over a bag of fast food breakfast and my left buried in the pocket of my hoodie. “It was so nice yesterday, too,” I mumbled, shivering as a breeze full of amber leaves swirled past me. “I hope the flowers aren’t too upset at the cold…”

Fumbling for a moment with cold fingers, I finally managed to free the shop key from the rest of my keyring and push it into the door. With a satisfying click, I pulled the doors open and stepped inside. Baby green fronds draped comfortably over the rims of terra-cotta pottery, as if beckoning me to give them their daily watering and sprinkles of flower food. “Good morning, all of you,” I said with a soft smile. “It’s a cold day, isn’t it? I don’t think any of you’ll be sitting outside today.”

I walked to the back of the shop and filled up the watering can until the cold liquid sloshed about just beneath the brim. “Hm… there,” I murmured. “That should be enough water for just about everybody. Ah! I’ll need to give the orchids their ice cubes today, too.”

“Gooooooood moooooorning, everyone!” Kelsey’s radiant, singsong voice echoed from the opposite end of the shop. “I see you beat me here, Aria! Does that mean you’ve already taken care of watering?”

“No,” I replied. “I’m just about to start. Why don’t you take care of the orchids while I water everyone else?”

“Oh! Sure, I can do that! I’m totally enamored with the new magenta orchids we got in a couple days ago, y’know,” she commented, grabbing a baggie of ice cubes from the freezer at the back of the shop. “I’m tempted to take one for myself! Do you think it’d go well with my white lilies?”

“I’m sure it’d look great with any flowers,” I replied, glancing at the set of magenta orchids she’d mentioned. They truly were beautiful, and if I didn’t know better, I’d also want to keep one. Alas, such thoughts weren’t worth enough to pay the bills, and so I refrained; admiring them while they were in the shop was good enough.

“Ohh, that’s it! I’m going to keep this one,” Kelsey caved, snatching the second orchid from the shelf. “What should I name her? Oh! You know what? I think I’m going to name her… Lovebird! Do you like it?”

“Lovebird? What brought that on?” I laughed softly, shaking my head. “That name’s way better for a rose or carnation, honestly. I think something more regal fits an orchid… say, Mystique, or something fancy like that.”

“Weeeeeell… I thought Lovebird would fit because today’s the day you’re going to confess your undying love to Mr. Violet Man!” Kelsey’s tone shifted to a teasing one, and I rounded on her at once.

Cheeks blazing with a rosy blush, I exclaimed, “Hey! Knock it off! I already told you that it’s nothing like that! I’m just curious about the guy… I want to know why he’s always here!”

“Mhmm… Lovebird it is, then! Well, miss Lovebird, I’m going to go set you in the back of the shop to relax until this evening!” Kelsey giggled, skipping away with the magenta orchid bouncing in her grasp. With the pathetic flopping of its leaves and petals, it seemed the orchid was just as exasperated as I.

I rolled my eyes and approached the marigolds near the back of the shop to water them; the bright, flaxen blossoms seemed to glow like the sun, even on such a cold autumn day. Next were the tulips, warm as ever, helping to ease the chill that clung to me still. It wasn’t until I arrived at the front of the store to water the violets that I felt a shiver run down my spine once again.

He was here. Earlier than usual, the strange young man had arrived to admire the violets, his sleep-filled bluish eyes fixated on their gentle blooms. This time, however, someone was with him—a taller, more muscular man with ginger hair and purple eyes watched the first with a breakfast biscuit clutched firmly in one hand and a backpack dangling from the other. “Mm… this biscuit really is good,” he mumbled around a mouthful of food. “Are you going to eat yours, Belphie?”

_A name. Belphie_ , I thought to myself. _So that’s what he’s called… Finally, this stranger has a name_. “I’m going to soon, Beel. Don’t even think about taking it,” Belphie replied, shaking his head. “I even got you two extras, and you still want mine…”

“Sorry, Belphie,” the other, whose name was apparently Beel, responded. “It’s just that I’m still so hungry…”

_He’s hungry?_ My mind drifted back toward the fast food I’d bought earlier that morning. I hadn’t so much as taken it out of the bag, and hungry as I was, the poor man sounded terribly miserable. “Excuse me,” I called to them, flashing a friendly smile. “Did I overhear someone saying they’re hungry? I have some food from this morning that you could have.”

The redhead’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Yes, please,” he spoke like an obedient child, earning a surprised scowl from his companion.

“Beel, don’t tell me you plan on taking this woman’s food…” Belphie exhaled in defeat as I passed the bag off to Beel, who engulfed the entire breakfast sandwich in a mere three bites. The hash browns followed close behind.

I smiled at Belphie now. “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Is there anything else I could help you two with? Are you here for some kind of special occasion?”

“Oh, uh, I guess so,” Belphie replied bluntly. “I just wanted to show the flowers to my brother. He has a partner, and he doesn’t know what to get them for their birthday. I saw the violets here a few days ago and kept coming back, so I thought I’d let him see the flowers for himself.”

_They’re brothers? They don’t look like one another in the slightest…_ I blinked in disbelief, but continued to speak nonetheless. “Ah, well, if you’re looking for flowers to give to a partner, I’d personally recommend carnations! They’re a romantic flower without feeling half as stereotypical as your average rose.”

“Which ones are the carnations? They sound tasty…” Beel mumbled under his breath, earning a sharp glare from Belphie. _Did he just say our flowers sounded tasty…? No; I must’ve misheard him._

I directed the man toward a dozen different carnation arrangements that Kelsey had designed the day before. “Those are the carnation bouquets we have. Just pick whichever one you think looks the prettiest!” I exclaimed brightly.

“You should keep an eye on him, or else he might eat the flowers,” Belphie said, rolling his eyes. “Beel’s a bottomless pit.”

“He’s… really that hungry?” I asked, concerned; these brothers seemed incredibly odd, and I was beginning to worry. “Is he okay?”

Belphie glanced at me with sleepy eyes. “Mh… he’s always hungry. It’s just his nature to be hungry. Don’t think too much about it.”

“Oh! Hello, sir—what are you doing to that carnation?!”

“Ah! Damn it, Beel, quit that!” Belphie snapped awake at the sound of Kelsey’s alarmed shout, grabbing his brother’s wrist just in time to prevent him from eating a red carnation. “Flowers aren’t food! I’d say they’ll upset your stomach, but I doubt much of anything really could…”

“Um… oh, hello there! You’re the man who’s been coming to see the violets, right? My coworker here mentioned seeing you a few times!” Kelsey exclaimed, casting a not-so-subtle wink in my direction. My face burned with fury and embarrassment as I glared back at her.

“Ah, yeah. That’s me,” he said. “I wanted to help my brother pick some flowers for his partner.”

Kelsey smiled nervously. “Oh! So… is that why he was eating the carnation…?” She asked, glancing over at the still hungry-looking Beel.

“Not really. Beel’s just not too used to seeing flowers,” Belphie responded with a sigh. “Where… where we’re from, there aren’t very many flowers. Beel eats his own pillow in his sleep sometimes, so it’s no surprise he’s hungry enough to try eating flowers.”

“Sorry, Belphie… sorry, misses,” Beel apologized to his brother, Kelsey and I in turn with a polite nod. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I’m just hungry…”

_He really is a bottomless pit_ , I thought, stunned. _How could he possibly be hungry after eating two people’s breakfasts?_ “Well, there’s no need to worry about it! Your stomach helped you pick out a beautiful bouquet, after all!” Kelsey joked. “Do you want to buy this for your partner, sir?”

“Mhm, I think so,” Beel nodded in agreement and paid for the flowers. “I think they’ll really like it. Thank you.”

With a yawn, Belphie turned toward the door. “Okay, we’ve taken care of that now, Beel. It’s time for you to go visit Yuki and for me to go home.”

“You’re not coming with me?” Beel glanced at his brother as he hurried after him.

Belphie returned his look with an incredulous stare. “Are you kidding me, Beel? You may be my twin brother, but Yuki’s not my partner. They chose you back then, and they want to see you, not me. Remember that.”

Beel acquiesced to Belphie’s request and the two parted ways as they left the shop. My eyes followed the smaller man’s figure as he disappeared once again into the crowd, my curiosity greater than ever. “So that’s your violet man,” Kelsey chuckled, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “He’s cute, I’ll give you that! And it kinda sounds like he’s single, too…”

“Stop it, Kelsey.” I was surprised by the sharpness of my tone, and judging from the tenseness in Kelsey’s arm, so was she.

She backed off. “Sorry, jeez. Didn’t know you couldn’t handle a little teasing,” she sighed, returning to the back room to work on some arrangements.

I exhaled heavily, my chest tight with a strange mix of regret and curiosity. Something about those brothers seemed so strange that I couldn’t get my mind off of them for the rest of the day. _Where could they possibly be from for Beel to think flowers are food…?_ I wondered restlessly, hoping the next day would arrive as swiftly as possible. I wanted to speak to Belphie again.

——————————————

“And… there we have it! We’re all done for today! Wanna go out and grab some dinner before we head home, Aria?” Kelsey asked brightly as she locked the shop’s front door.

I scarcely heard her question over my rushing thoughts, however. “Ah… um… no, sorry. I’m busy tonight,” I lied, turning toward home and moving swiftly along the sidewalk. I couldn’t bear to stick around anyone or anything that reminded me of work for the rest of the day—not after that day.

It was the first time in weeks that Belphie hadn’t shown up. After speaking with him the day before, I’d been so curious about Belphie and Beel that I’d desperately hoped he would return the next day—no, scratch that. I’d expected him to be back, and I’d been too relaxed about the situation because of my expectations. And yet, Belphie had disappeared, leaving the violets unattended all day.

Instead of eating dinner with Kelsey, I chose to grab a light meal at a cafe near my house to eat in the park. As I settled down on a bench to watch the sun gradually sink behind the trees while I ate, my mind began to race again. Why had Belphie not come back? The question ate away at me. Who were Beel and Belphie, anyways? Why did they seem so different from other people?

“Hello,” a voice from behind me caused me to nearly fling my food onto the grass as I whipped my head around to see the speaker. “You’re the girl who runs the flower shop around here, right? You’re… Aria, correct?”

I’d never seen the man before in my life, but somehow he gave off an air similar to Belphie. Cautiously, I replied, “Why do you ask?”

I scanned the speaker from head to toe. He wore unfamiliar garb akin to a military or academy uniform in a vivid shade of red, and his tan skin nicely complimented his russet head of hair. What was most striking about the man, however, was the brilliant amber shade of his eyes; the more I looked at them, the more I thought the man before me was not a man at all, but some otherworldly beast. “I’m wondering because a friend of mine seems very interested in your floral work,” he replied, a kindly smile painting his lips. “Do you mind if I sit beside you?”

“O-oh, not at all,” I responded; just like that, I’d lowered my guard. Despite those inhuman eyes, the man seemed rather friendly and unassuming. I figured I’d at least make for a good episode of _Dateline_ if I was wrong for trusting him. “This friend of yours… who is he, exactly? And, um, if you don’t mind me asking—who are you?”

“Oh! How rude of me! I didn’t even introduce myself, did I?” He laughed jovially. “My apologies! My name is Diavolo. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

_Diavolo… as in ‘devil,’ huh…? That’s a very strange name to give a child_ , I thought nervously. _Is he messing with me?_ “And the friend I speak of is Belphegor. He mentioned to his brothers how much he admires the beautiful violets he’s seen at your store for the past several days!”

_Belphegor… violets…? Oh! He’s talking about Belphie!_ I connected the dots with a sharp gasp, realizing at once that the man before me—Diavolo—spoke for the person I was so curious about. “Oh, okay! I know who you’re talking about! Sorry for being so clueless,” I chuckled. “What did you want to talk to me about? Did you want me to sell him some violets?”

“Oh, no, not at all! I was just hoping that you’d be open to spending more time with him,” Diavolo replied amicably. “You see, Belphegor is a bit closed off. He doesn’t open up to people well at all, and you’re one of only two people outside his family I’ve ever thought he could accept in his life.”

_Okay, that’s really weird_ , I thought to myself hesitantly. _He’s talking as if he knows all about me or something… How creepy…_ “U-um… I-I suppose…? What exactly does this entail, Diavolo? And why me, exactly?”

“Just keep being friendly whenever he visits your shop,” Diavolo replied. “Maybe offer him a few of those violets that he’s so enamored with. Either way, it’s important that you’re the one to do this. I can sense a kindness in your heart that will do Belphegor much good.”

‘ _Sense a kindness in my heart’… what the hell does he even mean?_ I cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing. A second man, dressed in equally-unusual garb, approached Diavolo and stood patiently beside him. “Lord Diavolo, it’s time for us to return home,” he spoke respectfully, as if he were a servant to the man beside me. Judging from the title added to the front of his name, I noted, it was likely that actually was the case.

“Ah! Barbatos, you snuck up on me!” Diavolo chuckled, turning to face the other man for a moment before glancing back at me. “Well, Aria, I hope you’ll continue to befriend Belphegor! I look forward to seeing how your friendship grows!”

The two left as suddenly as they’d arrived; when I tried to spot them further along the pathway into the park, it was as if they’d simply vanished. _Ahh… I’m losing my mind_ , I thought to myself miserably. I picked up my phone and haphazardly typed the name ‘Diavolo’ into Google, hoping to dig up some results on who the man could be. Nothing, save for the expected devil-related results, showed up. _Just who is this Diavolo…?_

——————————————

“Morning, Aria! Have you watered everything already?” Kelsey asked, bounding into the shop a few minutes late.

I jumped. “Ah! I forgot to water the plants!” I gasped, surprised; I was far too distracted by the strangers I’d spoken to the previous night to remember to water the flowers in the shop that morning. “Can you toss me the ice baggie? I’ll take care of the orchids today!”

“Oh, sure!” Kelsey complied happily, tossing the bag to me. “I’ve wanted to say hello to the tulips again since I got home late last night, so I’m thrilled to finally get a chance to water today!”

I stopped in front of the orchids with the ice cubes in-hand and delicately placed them among each plant’s roots to slowly melt. “There we go… good. That should do it,” I mumbled quietly and turned toward the front of the shop. To my surprise, I found myself face-to-face with none other than Belphie—or, as Diavolo called him, Belphegor.

“Oh! It’s you again!” I exclaimed, careful not to let his name slip; he couldn’t know I’d been listening in on his conversation with Beel the other day. “You weren’t here yesterday, were you?”

He shook his head and yawned. “Mm… no. I slept in too late,” he replied drowsily, blinking as if shaking off the clutches of sleep still. “What happened to the violets at the front of the store?”

Surprised, I glanced past him to the spot where the violets always sat, only to find that the place was entirely empty. “H-huh?” I mumbled, dumbfounded. “I didn’t move them… Kelsey! Kelsey, did you move the violets?”

“Oh! Right, yeah! They’re in the back room, Aria! If your friend wants to go see them, he can, just as long as you accompany him!” Kelsey shouted in reply from the opposite side of the shop.

_You slick little…_ I scowled in Kelsey’s direction. “Oh. I don’t have to see them, then,” Belphie mumbled and glanced around. “Could you tell me a bit more about these flowers, then? I’ve never seen any like them before.”

He’d turned his attention to the amaryllis, which were blooming beautifully on the table next to the orchids. “Oh, sure! Those are amaryllis. We carry mostly pink and white varieties, but they can also come in some of the most beautiful, vibrant shades of red,” I explained with a bright smile. “My personal favorites, though, are some of the rarer morphs. Just a few months ago, I ordered myself a purple amaryllis to keep at home with me. They’re hardy and can bloom indoors, which makes them really great for places with colder weather—not that we really have that problem here, save for during the peak of winter.”

“Hmm… are there any flowers that can survive without much light? Maybe just from a lightbulb?” Belphie asked; it seemed as though the portion about the amaryllis surviving indoors had piqued his interest. “I don’t really get much sun where I live, so I was hoping that I could get a plant that would do okay without any.”

_A plant that needs only artificial lighting to survive… hmm… oh!_ “I think you’re in luck, because we just got a few plants that are perfect for low light,” I said and led Belphie to the far back corner of the store, where a trio of white peace lilies were resting in the shade. “These beauties are called peace lilies, and they need very minimal care. Low light, low water; they’re really ideal for someone who doesn’t have a big, bright window to set a plant on. You should still put it in a room where it’ll get some kind of light—be it from a good lamp or a window—but it’ll do much better inside than any full-sun plant ever would.”

“Ah… I like it,” Belphie said, brushing his fingers along one of the deep green leaves of the peace lily closest to him. “How much is it?”

“These are small, so we’re selling them for $13. It’ll need a bigger pot to grow in, so if you need one, I can sell you one of those as well,” I explained.

Belphie shook his head. “No need. I can get one at home.” The black-and-white haired man passed me the payment and picked up the plant, carefully looking it over to ensure it looked okay.

“Say… you’re not bad,” he said quietly; I couldn’t tell if he was speaking to me or the flower he held, but I cast a simple smile his way nonetheless.

He now turned his blue-and-violet gaze toward me directly; it struck me that his eyes were just as remarkably inhuman as Diavolo’s. “Thanks. I’ll probably come back tomorrow, if I manage to wake up in time.”

“I look forward to it,” I replied warmly. “Oh, and by the way, my name’s Aria. What’s yours?”

“I’m Belphegor. Most people I know just call me Belphie, though,” he responded with a small nod. “See you, Aria.”

“See you later, Belphie.”

——————————————

It had been two months since I sold Belphie the peace lily, and the drowsy man had managed to show up at the shop all but three days since then. He seemed to genuinely enjoy his time in the store, and often asked about the new shipments we received. However, things changed one day when someone else showed up in the shop long before Belphie did. The entryway bell rang, inviting the guest into the shop.

Kelsey was quick to greet our visitor. “Hi there! I’m Kelsey. Is there anything I could help you with today?”

“Hello! I was wondering if it’d be possible for me to talk to Aria,” a familiar voice said. I knew I recognized that tone, but I couldn’t be certain—as I peered around the corner, however, I was met with the startling sight of Diavolo glancing around at the flowers in the shop.

Kelsey smiled. “Oh, of course! Aria, there’s a man here to see you! Come out and say hello!”

I stepped out from behind the flowers and smiled nervously. “Oh, hello, Diavolo! What brings you here today?” I asked, approaching the tall man.

“Hello, Aria! I was hoping I could speak with you in private about something,” he exclaimed amicably. “It’s something quite important, actually!”

Kelsey wiggled her eyebrows at me, but I rolled my eyes in response; every time I so much as spoke to an attractive person like Diavolo, she teased relentlessly. “Of course. We can talk in the back room, if you’d like,” I suggested simply. Kelsey faked a whistle from behind Diavolo, winking twice before I turned away.

Diavolo followed me into the back of the store and I closed the door behind us. “So, what is it you wanted to talk about?” I asked hesitantly. The more time I spent around Diavolo, the more he began to unnerve me.

“I was hoping I could ask you to help me with an exchange program I’ve been running! I know you and your friend Kelsey run this flower shop, but you’re still studying in college as well, yes?” He asked brightly.

_How does he know that? That’s creepy…_ I thought to myself. “Um… yes, I am still studying in college. I want to become a proper plant biologist so that I can grow the best possible stock for our shop. It’s a modest dream, but one I’m proud of.”

“That’s a wonderful dream,” Diavolo said with a friendly smile. “How would you like to experience a unique year at a school that’s vastly different from your own? You’d get a number of truly special experiences that could help you become the best possible caretaker for your plants, I’m sure!”

I nodded slowly. “…I see. What kind of program are we talking, exactly?” I asked, intrigued.

“I’d like to you attend RAD—the Royal Academy of Diavolo,” Diavolo explained. “It’s a very special school in a very different place from here. It would take some getting used to, but I can assure you that you’d have plenty of friends there. After all, you already know Belphegor and Beelzebub, and I’m sure Yuki would be kind to you as well.”

“I-I… the Royal Academy of Diavolo? Who exactly are you…?” I gaped, heart racing with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. _What am I getting myself into…? Is Diavolo some kind of secret prince from a foreign country or something…?_

Diavolo laughed jovially at my confusion. “Well, I don’t suppose there’s any reason to hide the truth from you, now is there?” He chuckled. “I am the Prince of the Devildom—a place you might better know by names like Hades, Hell, the Underworld, and so on.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” I said. _Wait. Did he say he was the prince of Hell?!_ “Hold on, what?! A-are you even human?”

“Not at all! I’m a demon, just like Beelzebub and Belphegor!” Diavolo exclaimed merrily. “There’s no need for you to worry about it, though. I can guarantee that you’ll be safe and sound in the Devildom—trust me, I’ve made this kind of thing work out before with Yuki! They’re a human and they spent several years on and off in the Devildom safely before they married Beelzebub. They live in the human world for half of the year now, and the Devildom for the other half!”

“You want me to go to Hell to study? But… won’t it be hot and uncomfortable and full of evil—wait, Belphie is a demon?!” I gawked, blindsided. That quiet, sleepy, sarcastic man, who’d been so much fun to talk to over the past few months, was a _demon_? I never would’ve guessed that Belphie was…

“Oh, don’t worry! The weather’s not nearly as bad as you’d think. So, will you agree to come to the Devildom for the continuation of the RAD exchange program? I’m certain that the hexes and potions classes will both be incredibly helpful for ensuring better plant growth!” Diavolo pressed excitedly.

_Is this really real, or is this some sort of elaborate prank?_ I wondered to myself; everything about Diavolo, Belphie, and the other demons I’d met had seemed utterly otherworldly, though, so I gave Diavolo the benefit of the doubt. “…Okay, I’ll do it. When do I start?” I said.

“In a few moments! You should say goodbye to your friend and let her know you’ll be gone for a while,” Diavolo suggested kindly. Unsure of what else to do, I nodded in agreement and emerged from the back room to find Kelsey waiting suspiciously close to the door.

“Hey, Kelsey,” I said, raising an eyebrow at her. “Were you trying to eavesdrop on my conversation with Diavolo?”

“Oh, Aria! No… nope, not at all!” She exclaimed, feigning innocence; I could see through her ruse from a mile away. “What did you talk about, though? I, uh… I couldn’t really hear anything.”

“I’m going on an exchange program at a school Diavolo runs,” I explained. “So… I’m going to be gone for a while. I’m not sure if the cell reception is gonna be great there, either, so… I don’t think I’ll be able to text or call.”

“Oh,” Kelsey sighed. “I was really looking forward to seeing how that romance between you and Mr. Violet Man went…”

“Kelsey!” I snapped before calming back down to explain. “Belphie goes to that school. I’ll see him when I’m there… but it’s no romance. He’s a friend.”

“Are you ready to go, Aria? I hate to rush you, but I am quite a busy man!” Diavolo exclaimed; he’d walked to the front door of the shop while I spoke to Kelsey.

I nodded. “Of course! I’ll, uh, see you again sometime, Kelsey,” I waved goodbye and followed her hurriedly. “I promise I’ll come back with plenty of great planting secrets and stuff! I’ve been promised great knowledge—!”

“You’d better come back with a damn boyfriend, too!” Kelsey retorted with a laugh. “Go get your violet boyfriend! I’m rooting for you!”

“Shut up!”

——————————————

“And now that I’ve given you your DDD, I can officially say… Welcome to the Devildom, Aria! You’ll be living in the House of Lamentation with Belphegor, his six brothers, and the human Yuki. I hope you enjoy your stay here!” Diavolo exclaimed warmly. “Barbatos, could you bring Aria to the House of Lamentation?”

“Yes, my Lord,” Barbatos bowed to Diavolo before beckoning for me to follow him down the long, dimly-lit hallway toward the exit.

After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached the door and stepped out into the Devildom. All around me was a deep, somber darkness, lit only by the warm lights of the buildings and distant lights that might’ve been some kind of stars. It was an otherworldly place, and just the sight of unfamiliar animals and beings moving about in the cities set me on edge. Had I made the right decision in coming here?

“This way, please,” Barbatos said, leading me through a courtyard and down a long, winding road. I watched as bats fluttered past in the sky and black cats skittered along the sidewalks; perhaps the place wasn’t as bad as I’d expected. The weather wasn’t as hot as I’d anticipated, at the very least—perhaps even colder than my own hometown was on an average autumn day. It felt like nearly an hour before we finally arrived at the wrought-iron gates of a large, old-looking mansion and Barbatos stopped walking.

I stared at it with wide eyes; while I cared deeply for nature in all its forms, I also had a bit of an obsession with the supernatural. Seeing such a fantastical, ghostly mansion was like a dream come true for me; I silently hoped that I might get to meet an ethereal spirit of some sort while I was living inside. “Welcome to the House of Lamentation, Aria,” Barbatos said with a polite smile. “Please, follow me. The brothers don’t know you’re coming.”

I blinked. “Wait… you’re telling me that I’m living in a house with seven demons who don’t even know they’re going to have me living with them…? Is that safe?” I asked worriedly, my gaze traveling between Barbatos and the House of Lamentation.

“It should be fine. One individual does know you’re here, and they should be… ah. There they are,” Barbatos said; soon, a person joined the two of you in front of the house.

“Hey, Barbatos!” They greeted him with a smile before turning to take a better look at me. “So this is Aria, huh? It’s nice to meet you, Aria! Having another human down here will be a nice change of pace.”

“Aria, this is Yuki. They’re one of the first two human exchange students that we took in at RAD. They’ll be serving as a bit of a guide for you and introducing you to the brothers,” Barbatos explained simply. “Good luck, Aria.” And with that, the butler vanished down the street, leaving me alone with Yuki.

Yuki’s messy black hair bobbed as they turned to face me. “So, Aria, why don’t you come on in with me? I’m sure the brothers will be excited to meet a great new human like you!” They exclaimed.

As we walked to the door, Yuki smiled. “Did Diavolo tell you that we’re cousins? Apparently, about 25 generations back, our families split apart. That means you’re also descended from Lilith.”

“Who’s Lilith?” I asked dumbly. _This is all too much to take in… what’s going on? Am I going to survive? Will I get to pet all the black cats I keep seeing all over the place?_

Yuki laughed. “Oh! Right, sorry—I guess he didn’t tell you, then. Lilith was the eighth sibling in the family thousands of years ago, but she died in the Celestial War. Diavolo saved her and reincarnated her as a human, and her children were our distant ancestors. It’s kinda cool, right? Not to mention that little bit of angel blood really comes in handy sometimes—especially for someone like you, who doesn’t have any pacts.”

“Pacts?”

Yuki stopped at the front door to the mansion. “Yeah, pacts! You form a pact with a demon, and they have to follow your every command. I used to have one with all seven of the brothers, but I ended up freeing all of them except for Beel whenever I chose to marry him,” they explained simply. “I’d recommend you try to form a pact with Mammon at first. He’ll act tough, but he’s a real softie.”

“Ah, I see,” I nodded slowly. “I’m friends with Belphie… do you think he’d form a pact with me?”

Yuki had taken out the keys to open the front door, but paused for a moment at my words. They turned their gaze to me in surprise. “You know Belphie?” They asked, tilting their head to one side. “Really?”

“Yes! He visited my flower shop for the past few months almost every day,” I said with a warm smile. “He’s a joy to talk to, really, when you get past the ten layers of sarcasm.”

“Well, maybe you should see if he’ll form a pact with you,” Yuki suggested, unlocking the door. “Belphie’s actually a pretty closed-off person, so he must like you quite a bit to go out of his way to talk to you so often.”

“Ahh, you think so?” I felt a rosy blush build on my cheeks at the thought of being so special to someone. “I’ll ask him about it soon.”

I followed Yuki into the house, allowing my gaze to travel throughout the entryway. A pair of grand staircases framed the wide halls, leading to a vast upstairs expanse beyond. Ancient-looking paintings and strange artifacts decorated the place, making it look as if the house belonged to some hundred-year-old witch or the like. The more I stared around, the more it felt as if I was trapped inside of a movie set.

“Welcome to the House of Lamentation, Aria!” Yuki exclaimed brightly. “We should probably introduce you to some of the brothers as soon as possible, so why don’t you follow—“

“Oi! Yuki, what’re ya doin’ over by the door?!” An unfamiliar voice shouted loudly from above, and soon a tan-skinned man with snowy white locks had bounded downstairs to get a better look at the two of us. “Who’s this? Are ya human?! Ya totally look like another human! Oi, Yuki, what’re ya bringin’ a human in here for?”

“Diavolo asked me to take care of Aria for a while,” they replied without missing a beat; I glanced back and forth between the two nervously. “She’s the newest exchange student here in the Devildom, and he thought I could help her out a bit. Oh, and she’ll also be staying here in the House of Lamentation, since she doesn’t have any magical power right now.”

“Eeeh? You’re tellin’ me that Diavolo’s addin’ a new human to the exchange program, and he didn’t tell any of us?!” The white-haired demon gawked.

Yuki laughed. “Well, I’m sure he was just too excited to think about it. You know how he can be,” they replied. “Anyways, this is Aria! Aria, this is Mammon. Like I said earlier, he’s going to act tough around you, but he’s really a softie.”

Mammon’s face turned a deep shade of red at Yuki’s words, and he rounded on them in an instant. “A softie?! What’re ya sayin’?! I’m not soft!”

“Oh, and he can be a bit dumb, too,” Yuki chuckled. “Don’t listen to any of his get-rich-quick schemes; he’s the Avatar of Greed for a reason.”

I nodded slowly. “I, um… it’s nice to meet you, Mammon,” I said hesitantly; I wasn’t sure what to think of the loud, expressive demon before me.

“Anyways, let’s get you to your room! It’ll be right over this way,” Yuki exclaimed, leading me away from Mammon. To my surprise, the demon trailed after us, chattering away with Yuki as if I didn’t exist.

It seemed apparent to me that he had feelings for them, but Yuki was unbothered. “Okay, here’s your room! I used to stay here before I moved into Beel’s room, so trust me when I say that it’s a perfectly comfortable room.” They smiled warmly as they gestured toward the lovely bedroom.

The sheets were all a vibrant shade of pink, contrasting sharply with the dark gray stone walls and the long, curling vines that clung to the bricks behind the bed. It looked like a comfortable space, especially for one so attuned to plants as myself. “Anyways, now that you know about your room, let’s go meet the brothers!” Yuki proclaimed.

They led me into a large, beautifully-ornate dining hall and stopped next to the table. “I’ll teach you how to get all of the brothers into one room at the exact same time,” they said, casting a devious grin in my direction. “Watch this.”

They swiped their purple DDD from their pocket and began to type swiftly in a group chat labeled “House of Lamentation (New).” I watched the words form on the screen. They read:

_Hey, could you guys come to the dining room? I think someone chipped one of the cursed table settings._

_Did they just… completely lie to bring them all here?_ I blinked, staring at my human companion. _They did, didn’t they?_

“That’ll get them,” Yuki snickered, smirking. “Just wait a couple minutes, aaaaand….”

The door to the dining hall slammed open with a loud bang, and a tall man with dark hair walked angrily inside. His deep crimson gaze flashed with disdain as he approached the table, only faltering with a flash of confusion once he noticed not one, but two humans waiting for him there. “Yuki,” he began lowly. “Who exactly is this?” Yuki held up a hand, beckoning for the demon to wait a moment. He scowled, but held his tongue.

A second demon approached now—Mammon, the white-haired man from earlier, had arrived to adamantly attempt to clear his name. Following him came a blond-haired demon who looked just as annoyed as the first did, and thereafter a strawberry blond who seemed more focused on his DDD than the drama taking place. A purple-haired demon was next, and like the previous man, he was much more interested in his screen than the supposedly-broken plate. Finally, a familiar face arrived: it was Beel, the redhead I’d seen once at the flower shop. Belphie was nowhere to be seen.

“Hi, everyone! I’m sure you’re all wondering why I made up the story about the chipped plate, and why there’s a stranger here with me,” Yuki began brightly, earning half a dozen groans from the demons. “However, I’m going to clear that up right now! I wanted all of you to meet Aria, the newest exchange student at RAD—Diavolo himself selected her and brought her here just today!”

“Diavolo did, hm? He didn’t tell me anything about a new exchange student…” The black-haired demon muttered under his breath, eyes narrowed. “He must have forgotten.”

Yuki simply grinned. “So, why don’t you all introduce yourselves to her? She’s going to be staying in a guest room here in the House of Lamentation, just like I did when I first came to the Devildom a few years back.”

I learned a few things from the introductions, aside from the names of my housemates. Firstly, Lucifer is the strict one, quick to jump on the others’ cases when they misbehave. Next, Asmodeus is the Avatar of Lust and not someone you should allow too close too quickly, lest you want to risk becoming a plaything of his. Finally, Beel is so hungry because he’s the Avatar of Gluttony, meaning his stomach truly is endlessly empty. It was only after they’d all introduced themselves that Yuki beckoned for me to do the same. “I, um… My name is Aria, and I’m a florist and college student from the human world. I run a flower shop with my friend, Kelsey, and I’m studying biology—mainly plant biology, to be exact.”

“Oh… wait, you’re the florist I got Yuki’s flowers from, right? Belphie visits your shop up in the human world a lot,” Beel said, eyes widening slightly.

I smiled in return. “That’d be me!”

Now, I’d properly caught the attention of the demon brothers. Asmodeus invaded my personal space in the blink of an eye, his warm, sweet-smelling breath ruffling my hair as he exclaimed, “You already know Beel and Belphie? How unfair! I wish I’d gotten the chance to meet such a cute, beautiful human sooner!”

“Oi, get offa her!” Mammon shouted, pulling Asmodeus away from me. “Ya aren’t gonna cozy up to the new human just like that, ya hear? I’m not letting ya get all… _weird_ with ‘em outta nowhere!”

Leviathan now seemed fixated on the purse that hung around my shoulders, his eyes locked on the zipper. _He’s the Avatar of Envy, right?_ I thought to myself nervously. _Does he want something I have…?_ “Um, Leviathan, right?” I asked hesitantly. “Why are you staring at my purse?”

He blinked a couple times before replying. “Is… is that a _Fire Emblem: Three Houses_ keychain on your purse?” He asked softly, his amber eyes locked onto my Claude keychain. “Is it?!”

I laughed in disbelief. _So there are actually demons who play_ Fire Emblem _? That’s kinda cool._ “It is! I only have this Claude one with me, but I have… um… four sets of keychains from the game. When I play a game or watch an anime, I tend to become pretty invested and buy merch for it,” I explained, embarrassment and excitement milling about in equal portions in my stomach.

“Ohh, I can’t believe it! A human who’s not a total normie! Someone who can truly understand me—!” Leviathan gasped eagerly. “Yuki and I play a lot of video games and watch TSL together, but that’s because I convinced them to try it out! You… you’re the first otaku human to ever visit the Devildom!”

“Well, wasn’t Solomon kind of an otaku, too?” Satan pointed out with a tilt of his head. “He talked about TSL with you sometimes, didn’t he? Or am I remembering wrong?”

“Well, yes, he did, but—this is better than that!” Now, my embarrassment was building up; everything about Leviathan’s excitement was overwhelming, and I wasn’t sure if I should be flattered or frightened. Nevertheless, I was happy to promise him an in-depth conversation about the moralities of the three house leaders after dinner—which Yuki had left to prepare.

As the scent of strange and unfamiliar foods wafted from the kitchen, I heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching the dining room. Curious, I looked up from the conversation about cats that I’d been enjoying with Satan, only to spot the face I’d been waiting to see. “Belphie!” I gasped, standing up and hurrying over to him.

The sleepy-looking demon jumped at the sound of my voice, his violet eyes widening with surprise as I stopped in front of him. “Aria? What are you doing here…?” He asked, blinking a few times as if trying to dissipate some sort of illusion. “How did you end up here in the Devildom?”

“Diavolo asked me to become an exchange student, and I agreed,” I said with a bright smile. “I can’t believe it, though… you’re really a demon? I always thought you seemed different from my other customers, but to think that was the reason… I never would’ve guessed!”

I could feel several pairs of eyes burning into my back as I eagerly chatted with the drowsy demon. A faint smile made its way onto his lips as I led him back to the open seat next to my spot at the table—one I’d insisted on leaving for him, much to Asmodeus’s dismay—and sat down. “You should come look at the peace lily you gave me after dinner,” he said, stifling a yawn. “It’s doing good still. I always make sure to care for it.”

“So that’s who gave you that flower!” Asmodeus exclaimed, eyes lighting up as the pieces fell into place. “I was so curious as to what sort of secret lover you had, who was resourceful enough to bring you a human world flower… to think it was such a cute, lovely human as Aria!”

_Secret lover?!_ My face flushed red as I shot a surprised look over in Asmodeus’s direction. The demon merely winked in return, and I did my best to ignore it. “Aria’s not my secret lover,” Belphie replied indignantly. Asmo wiggled his eyebrows in response and opened his mouth to continue teasing the boy.

“Dinner’s ready!” Yuki’s voice interrupted the brothers’ argument as they and Satan carried several plates of food to the table. “I hope you’re ready for your first taste of Devildom food, Aria! It’s totally different from anything you’ve ever had before, trust me!”

“I… I see,” I mumbled, staring at the strange mass of meat(?) that had been set down before me. “What exactly is this…?”

“It’s roasted devil hog,” Belphie said simply. “Just try it. It tastes a little bit like human world pork.”

I obliged in spite of my better judgement; to my surprise, however, the devil hog wasn’t bad at all. It had a certain spice to it that seemed to almost numb the tongue, which was simultaneously terrifying and delectable. “Is it supposed to make my mouth numb?” I asked, glancing at Belphie.

“Yeah, it does that,” he replied. “It seems that the effects are amplified on humans, though, because it affects Yuki a lot more than the rest of us.”

“Thath’s noth thwue!” Yuki exclaimed emphatically from the opposite side of the table. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that it was, in fact, very true.

“So am I going to… sound like that…?” I asked worriedly, prodding my tongue with my fork in concern.

My companion smirked deviously behind his black-and-white bangs. “Who knows? We’ll just have to find out.”

——————————————

“So these are my textbooks?” I asked, glancing at Lucifer. The tall, intimidating demon had brought a set of large and archaic-looking tomes into my room early the next morning, along with half a dozen RAD student uniforms. “They sure look… old. N-not in a bad, way, I mean—they’re just very antique-looking!”

“These books are about a century old,” Lucifer responded levelly; I could tell he was doing his best to ignore my unintentional insult. “This red volume is your seductive speechcraft textbook, and the brown one beneath it is for your magical potions class. That black one is your hexes and curses textbook. Be sure not to open it unintentionally, or else you might curse yourself for a few days.”

“O-oh.”

“What’s this one?” I asked, pulling a smaller, dark green text out from under the three larger tomes. “It looks a bit newer than the others…”

Lucifer chuckled slightly. “That’s your mathematics textbook. It’s a subject I’m sure you’ll be much more familiar with than the others you’ll be taking.”

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. “You… you mean to tell me that I have to take math while I’m here?” I said feebly. It had been three years since I’d last taken a math course, and I didn’t miss those awful formulas in any capacity. “O-oh…”

“Hm? Not a fan of math, are you?” Lucifer asked rhetorically, raising one eyebrow slightly. “If that’s the case, I could certainly help tutor you. If you’re remiss in handling your work, know that a punishment awaits.”

_A punishment? What… does that mean…?_

“Oi! Human, are ya ready to go yet?!” Mammon’s voice echoed loudly from the hallway, catching both my and Lucifer’s attention. “It’s almost time for your first day at RAD! I protected Yuki when they first came here, so I’m gonna protect ya too!”

“Thank you for the books and uniforms, Lucifer,” I nodded respectfully to the eldest brother. “Could you tell Mammon that I’ll be ready soon?”

He cast a sharp stare in my direction that made me jump. “I don’t take kindly to being ordered around,” he warned, “but I can tell him that. He’d be bothersome to the rest of us if I didn’t.”

_Scary…!_ I shivered, watching as Lucifer slipped out of the room and closed the door behind himself. _That guy’s absolutely terrifying! He really feels like a demon compared to the others…_

Pushing my fears aside, I changed into my new uniform and pushed my textbooks into the backpack Lucifer had given me. Once I was ready, I stepped out of my room to find an impatient Mammon pacing back and forth by the door. “Human! Ya took your sweet time, didn’t ya?” He asked, rolling his eyes.

“Sorry, Mammon,” I dipped my head slightly. “I had to figure out how to button up this uniform…”

The Avatar of Greed brushed off the complaint and led me into the other room, where Satan, Beel, Asmo, Lucifer, Levi, and Yuki were getting ready to leave for school. “Oh, Aria! You look soooooo adorable in that uniform!” Asmo chirped excitedly. “Humans really do look so wonderful in the RAD uniform, don’t they?”

“Where’s Belphie?” I asked, trying my best to ignore Asmo’s overt flirtatiousness.

Beel glanced toward the stairs. “He’s probably still asleep,” he explained. “Belphie doesn’t like school much, and tends to sleep through it.”

I turned toward the staircase and jogged up; the brothers and Yuki watched in confusion as I disappeared into the upstairs. “Is she crazy? Ya don’t just wake Belphie up, ya stupid human! He’ll kill ya!” Mammon shouted loudly.

“Let her figure it out,” Satan sighed. “She seems to have some sort of attachment to Belphie, so perhaps he’ll only get a bit angry with her. It might be best for someone to follow her just in case, though…”

“I’ll go,” Beel said. In the blink of an eye, the redhead had scaled the stairs as well, leaving his brothers behind.

Meanwhile, I’d stopped at the door to the attic that Yuki mentioned was Belphie’s new room. “It’s… this room, right?” I mumbled to myself as I carefully opened the door to one of the bedrooms. Sure enough, a comfortable-looking bed rested next to the ornately-decorated walls, and it still had a sleeping occupant.

I walked quietly over to Belphie’s sleeping figure. He was clinging to a cow-print pillow, his bicolored hair mussed from moving around in his sleep. What caught me off guard, however, was the pair of large, curved black horns that framed his head—and the long, winding tail that had wrapped itself around the bedpost. At its tip was a tuft of silky-looking fur; resisting the urge to touch it took immense self-control. “Belphie…?” I called softly.

“Mmn… _what_?” A violet-eyed glare met my own gaze and I jumped; Belphie was not a morning demon, I learned. “What are you doing in my room, waking me up? I’m trying to sleep, you know.”

The same cold chill I’d felt when Lucifer spoke warningly to me earlier returned in force, wrapping me in a pair of icy, fearful claws. “I-I’m sorry,” was all I could say at first. “I just… I was wondering if you were coming to school with everyone else. I wanted to walk with you—“

“No. I don’t feel like it,” Belphie growled, tail lashing frustratedly. The long tendril swatted the pot containing his peace lily onto the floor, shattering it. “Now I’d recommend you leave before I get really angry.”

I flinched at the sharp sound of the pot breaking and backed away. “R-right, sorry… Sorry, I’ll go.” I left and didn’t look back, heart racing with terror. For a moment, I’d feared that Belphie would kill me.

I met Beel just outside the room; his eyes were alight with concern as he noticed the troubled expression on my face. “Are you okay?” He asked around a mouthful of some Devildom food. “I heard something break.”

“I’m fine,” I mumbled, gaze locked on the ground. “Belphie’s not coming. Let’s just leave already.”

_He really is a demon… a creature that might kill me at a moment’s notice without remorse_ , I thought to myself, shivering as I retreated down the stairs and into the shelter of the other brothers’ protection.

“Aria, are you alright?” Yuki asked. I didn’t respond; instead, Beel answered for me, much to my relief.

“She told me that she’s fine,” Beel replied, but I could tell Yuki didn’t take his word for it. They looked at me with concern in their eyes, yet said nothing else.

Satan brushed the situation off. “Well, anyways, let’s get going. We’re going to be late if we don’t leave now.”

——————————————

Even meeting the angels Simeon and Luke at RAD had done little for the fear that clutched my heart. I shivered every time I remembered those uncaring purple eyes and the shattered terra-cotta littering the bedroom floor. I’d been a fool, thinking I’d formed any sort of real friendship with Belphegor. _Maybe I shouldn’t have come here in the first place…_

“Yo, human,” Mammon’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I’d been sticking close to him throughout the day, since he seemed a bit more approachable than the others. “Ya haven’t touched your lunch, have ya? If ya don’t eat it soon, Beel might show up to take it from ya.”

I nudged the strange-looking sandwich with my finger before sighing. “Sorry, Mammon. I’m just not really hungry today,” I mumbled glumly. “If Beel comes over here, you can give it to him.”

“Uh… ya aren’t still upset about this mornin’, are ya? About Belphie?” Mammon asked; he was surprisingly perceptive, it seemed. Perhaps his genius lay not in book smarts, but emotional understanding?

I bit my lip before finally caving. “H-honestly, I am,” I spoke softly, for fear of someone else hearing my concerns. “I thought he was going to kill me for a minute there… I-I thought he was my friend, but… b-but—“ A sniffle escaped my throat, and a mere moment later my face was streaked with tears.

“H-hey, don’t cry!” Mammon panicked, glancing around to be sure no one else was nearby before continuing. “Listen! Belphie’s the Avatar of Sloth. When he’s sleepy, he’s cranky! He’d yell at any of us if we got up in his face while he was nappin’! I’m sure he’ll be just fine when ya talk to him again!”

I could do nothing but shakily nod in reply. Mammon, ever the protector of his humans, wiped the tears from my face and grinned. “Whaddya say we go shoppin’ before we go home? That’ll help take your mind offa things!”

“Not on my watch,” Lucifer’s voice caused both of us to jump; I whipped around to stare fearfully up at the eldest sibling, unable to suppress the shivering that overtook my body. “You’re not going to take advantage of Aria to try and buy yourself a pile of trash you’ll never use. In case you forgot, I took your credit card again last week.”

“G-give Goldie back, dammit!” Mammon cried, only for Lucifer to promptly reject him and walk away.

——————————————

By the time I’d arrived back at the House of Lamentation, I’d been dragged to half a dozen stores against Lucifer’s direct orders. Luckily for me, Mammon was the only one who received a sharp berating for it—I was let off with a few strict words, warning me not to listen to Mammon’s stupid ideas again. Once I was freed from Lucifer’s lecture, I carefully retraced my steps from Yuki’s brief house tour to the planetarium. The beauty of the stars and moon shimmering through the glass would help to soothe my rattled nerves.

I didn’t expect to run into the source of my problems under the light of the stars, however; Belphie had settled into a comfortable spot in the planetarium and was gazing up at the sky, his expression blank. I tensed up and turned to leave, but it was too late: he’d already noticed my approach. “Aria,” Belphie’s voice broke the silence.

“B-Belphie,” I stammered in response, stepping back once in a vain attempt to escape the inevitable confrontation.

“Don’t leave,” he said, sitting up. “Come over here for a bit. We need to talk about something.”

_I can’t get out of this one_ , I thought miserably. I walked up to Belphie and sat in an adjacent chair. My entire body stiffened as I waited for him to speak. “Look, Belphie, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to wake you up this morning—“ I began.

“That’s right,” Belphie interrupted me before I could continue speaking. “Waking me up out of the blue isn’t a good idea. I shouldn’t have been as mean as I was, though. I, uh… I’m sorry. I also need your help with something…”

I blinked, surprised; I hadn’t anticipated an apology to come out of this encounter. “What is it?” I asked, still not entirely free of my fears.

“It’s about my peace lily,” Belphie sighed guiltily. “When it fell, I think it got hurt. A lot of the leaves and the stem got crushed under pieces of the pot, and the flower’s all beat up. Is… is there anything you can do to fix it?”

I couldn’t help but smile, my fears finally dissipating. “I’d be happy to take a look at it, Belphie. Did you put it in a new pot yet?”

“Mhm. I did right after you left.”

“Well, that’s a good start. Let’s go take a look at it and see how it is now,” I replied, standing up. The demon stood as well, and I followed him up to his attic bedroom.

Once I arrived, the damage was apparent. The peace lily, once standing proudly with a pristine white bloom, looked like a shell of its former self. Half a dozen of the leaves were crumpled or torn, and the stem itself had been bent at an awful angle, hanging the tattered bloom off the edge of the table it sat upon. “Oh…” Belphie sighed. “It looks worse than it did this morning. The stem’s breaking now.”

I wracked my brain for ideas to save the damaged blossom, until my eyes came to rest upon a small piece of metal wire that lay on the floor nearby. Judging from its appearance, the wire must’ve been from the backing of a portrait or painting that had long since been removed. “Let’s see…” I murmured, bending down and picking up the wire. “I think this could help.”

Carefully, I lifted the damaged stem and held it upright. I prodded the soil around the plant’s base until I discovered a spot that seemed to be devoid of roots and pushed the end of the wire down into the dirt. Then, to complete my masterpiece, I wrapped the opposite end of the wire gently around the plant’s stem. Stepping back, I smiled; with the wire’s support, the peace lily’s stem remained upright.

“It’ll need some extra nutrients to help it make repairs, but I think it should make a full recovery,” I said with a smile. “Truthfully, it would’ve been much worse off if it’d gotten a fungus or bugs. You’ve taken really good care of it, Belphie.”

A light pink blush touched Belphie’s cheeks at my words. “Ah… thanks.”

——————————————

Two months had passed since I first arrived in the Devildom, and I had gradually begun to settle into a routine. Every morning, I was awakened by Mammon or Yuki shaking me awake and demanding I come eat breakfast before Beel vacuumed everything off my plate. I’d then walk to school with the siblings, a group that tended to vary depending on the moods of the brothers—often times Levi or Belphie stayed home, and sometimes Satan or Lucifer left before everyone else.

I always sat with Beel and Yuki in my magical potions class, mostly because Yuki begged me to help them prevent Beel from eating the potion making ingredients when no one else dared get in his way. I also didn’t want to be anywhere near Mammon in that class after he’d tried and failed to produce a gold making potion against the teacher’s express recommendations. Said potion instead blew up and destroyed my textbook (and the very cute candy-imp pens I’d bought the day before with Asmo).

On the other hand, Mammon was a near-constant presence by my side in mathematics. He displayed an uncanny grasp of the subject, which I could only attribute to him keeping track of his monetary balance religiously for centuries. Thanks to his help, math had gone from being one of my least favorite subjects to one I genuinely enjoyed.

Curses and hexes was up next, and I always sat between Satan and Belphie (when he came to school) for that course. Satan was extremely knowledgeable about curses, yet not half as condescending as Lucifer could be about it. Belphie, on the other hand, always sat by my side because it was the only class we shared throughout the day. Half the time, I’d have to wake him up for important parts of the notes; the other half of the time, I’d just let him sleep and copy them down later.

Finally, seductive speechcraft concluded my day. It was a strange and uncomfortable subject, to say the least—an entire class based on seducing people wasn’t one I ever expected to take. Asmodeus and Leviathan were my seat mates for the class—Asmo because he just wanted to seduce the “cute new human,” and Levi because I was the only one who understood his anime-flavored seductions (and I occasionally flung some back at him, just to make him flustered).

After each day ended, I usually found myself accompanying one or more of the brothers on some sort of strange excursion into town. Asmo was the most frequent companion, always wanting me to try on new Devildom fashions so he could take pictures to post on the Devilgram account he’d convinced me to make. Mammon and Beel (always accompanied by Yuki) often joined me as well, usually wanting to grab a bite to eat somewhere.

Today was different, however; none of my usual companions came to me asking to visit the shopping district. Instead, I was surprised to spot Belphie drowsing near RAD’s main exit, his pillow dangling precariously from his grasp. “Belphie!” I called, hurrying over to the sleepy demon. “Be careful—if you fall asleep too deeply, you’ll flop right over…”

He blinked his eyes open and yawned. “Mhm… yeah, sorry. I was waiting for you, and I got bored.”

“You were waiting for me?” I asked, surprised; it wasn’t often that Belphie wanted to do anything other than sleep after school ended.

With a nod, he said, “Yeah. I was hoping you’d come with me for a bit. I wanted to show you something nice.”

“Alright, sure,” I agreed and began to follow Belphie as he walked out of the school building. “Where are we headed?”

Belphie merely smiled. “You’ll see.”

And so for half an hour, I walked down the winding, dark roads of the Devildom with Belphegor in a comfortable silence. The quiet was only broken by the occasional yawn from the demon and the continuous train of thoughts running through my mind. Bats fluttered past in the sky, chirping as they hunted for insects to eat; on the ground, I could’ve sworn I saw a serpent curled into the base of a hollow tree trunk.

In its own haunting way, the Devildom was a sight to behold. The deep violet skies, the distant gleam of the stars, and the warm lights of the cities were more than enough to strike awe into my heart. Nothing could compare to the view I was about to see, however.

Belphie finally stopped walking along the main street and beckoned me to follow him down a winding dirt trail. “Belphie, where are we going?” I asked again, following close behind him to ensure I didn’t find myself in some sort of monster’s jaws.

“I told you earlier, and I’ll tell you again: you’ll see,” Belphie replied simply, glancing back to ensure I was sticking close to him.

I jumped as a tabby cat darted across the path, involuntarily clinging to Belphie’s left arm. “Eep—!” I squeaked, before recognizing the creature that had passed us. “O-oh… it’s just a cat. S-sorry…”

“It’s okay. You should keep holding onto me anyways,” Belphie replied and squeezed my hand in his.

My cheeks flushed red as I held onto his hand, and I felt my heart begin to race. As we continued to walk, my mind started to wander to all the memories I’d shared with him since we first met so many months back.

_“Oh, uh, I guess so,” Belphie replied bluntly. “I just wanted to show the flowers to my brother. He has a partner, and he doesn’t know what to get them for their birthday. I saw the violets here a few days ago and kept coming back, so I thought I’d let him see the flowers for himself.”_

I smiled back on that first proper meeting. He’d seemed so unique, yet so human back then—I knew better now, but it didn’t dampen my opinion of the man at all. In fact, it occurred to me that knowing the truth about Belphie had only made my interest in him spike.

_“These beauties are called peace lilies, and they need very minimal care. Low light, low water; they’re really ideal for someone who doesn’t have a big, bright window to set a plant on. You should still put it in a room where it’ll get some kind of light—be it from a good lamp or a window—but it’ll do much better than any full-sun plant ever would.”_

_“Ah… I like it,” Belphie said, brushing his fingers along one of the deep green leaves of the peace lily closest to him. “How much is it?”_

The peace lily had recovered nicely from its fall, much to Belphie and I’s relief. In fact, the beautiful plant had produced a second blossom only two weeks after its initial fall, and now it stood side-by-side with the first.

_“I-I’m sorry,” was all I could say at first. “I just… I was wondering if you were coming to school with everyone else. I wanted to walk with you—“_

_“No. I don’t feel like it,” Belphie growled, tail lashing frustratedly. The long tendril swatted the pot containing his peace lily onto the floor, shattering it. “Now I’d recommend you leave before I get really angry.”_

Belphie hadn’t really snapped at me since that day, in no small part because I didn’t try to wake him up for school ever again. Instead, I found myself sharing some afternoon naps with the demon, who was more than happy to offer a spare pillow in exchange for the pleasant warmth of another body next to his while he slept. I always hoped he couldn’t hear the pounding of my heart when he’d wrap me up in his arms.

My thoughts dwelled on the warmth of those days—the fluffy blankets, the soft pillows, and the quiet sound of Belphie’s breathing as he drifted off to sleep, his head resting next to my shoulder. As I basked in that warmth, the realization finally hit me: I loved him. I had completely fallen for Belphie.

“We’re here.” I snapped back to reality at the sound of Belphegor’s voice, and the moment I focused back on our surroundings, my jaw dropped.

The scene before us was stunning. Tall, ancient-looking trees surrounded a wide field, which was completely covered in thousands upon thousands of flowers, none of which I’d ever laid eyes on before. Overhead, the moon and stars shone brightly, creating a soft coat of silver light that cloaked the field. “Whenever Beel works out, he likes to come run laps around here. He has me join him to keep time, but I usually just nap under the trees,” Belphie explained. “I thought you’d like to see some of the flowers we have here in the Devildom.”

“Belphie, it’s… it’s amazing,” I breathed, slowly approaching the nearest blossoms. They were large and a mixture of deep purple and magenta, their petals speckled with a vibrant orange that almost seemed to glow. “I’ve never seen anything like these flowers before… I-I… thank you. Thank you… I love it.”

A pair of strange-looking butterflies fluttered past, their wings spreading silver dust that shone like starlight. “Don’t breathe that in,” Belphie warned, waving the powder away with his hands. “It’ll make you get dizzy. Beel ate one of those butterflies once and had to go to the hospital for an entire day because it made him so disoriented.”

“Oh, right,” I blinked. “Are any of these flowers dangerous? Like, say… those glowing blue-and-green ones? Ohh, they’re so gorgeous…!”

Belphie smiled softly. “No. I wouldn’t have brought you here if the flowers could hurt you,” he replied. “Everything around here, except for those butterflies, should be perfectly safe, even for a human.”

After I spent a moment appreciating the glowing flowers, a clump of dazzling purple blossoms caught my eye. They were small, five-petaled flowers with faint white striping that gave them a candy-like appearance. I could only imagine that Beel must’ve eaten them at least once. “Hey, Belphie,” I asked, turning to him. “Am I allowed to pick any of these flowers?”

“Hm? Oh, sure. Nobody owns this place,” Belphie replied with a shrug. He’d settled down next to the nearest tree, his pillow resting between his back and the trunk. “Go ahead and take as many as you want.”

At his words, I had my work cut out for me. I gathered a handful of the purple-and-white flowers and three of the glowing blue blooms before searching out some white flowers. Soon enough, I found some odd-looking white blossoms with long, feathery petals and a big, brilliant flower with violet petals and a prominent, pale blue stamen. I plucked them all and settled amongst the blossoms, my fingers working deftly to perfect my masterpiece.

By the time my work was done, Belphie had already fallen asleep in the shadow of the tall, dark tree. I sat down beside him, unable to stifle the grin that made its way onto my lips as I readied my creation. “Belphie,” I murmured softly. “I made you something.”

“Mh… what is it…?” He mumbled drowsily, blinking his beautiful eyes open and glancing at me.

I placed a circlet of flowers atop his head, beaming. “There! A whole crown of flowers that remind me of you,” I replied cheerfully.

“Ah… thanks,” Belphie glanced up at the blossoms with a fond smile on his lips. “Wait just a second.”

He leaned away and picked through the flowers next to him for a moment before resurfacing with one of the purple, pink and orange blossoms I’d admired when we first arrived. “Hold still,” he said; I obeyed as he gingerly tucked the flower into my hair. “There. Now you have one, too.”

“Thanks, Belphie,” I murmured softly.

“I have something else for you, too,” Belphie added; the seriousness in his tone caught me off guard, and I turned to face him.

His gaze averted to the grass for a moment before returning to my face. “I’ve been going over this in my head for a while now, but I’ve made up my mind. I want to form a pact with you, and only you,” he said. “I used to have one with Yuki, but they retracted it when they married Beel. I told myself I wouldn’t form a pact with someone special to me again, but… you’re different. I want to form a pact with you more than I have with anyone else.”

My heart leapt into my throat at the demon’s words, and a smile blossomed onto my face. “I would love nothing more,” I replied.

Belphie hummed softly, his sleepy gaze tracked on me. “Good. Then it’s done… I’m all yours. Don’t order me around too much, okay?”

“I won’t. I promise.” I nodded, scarcely able to hear his words over the pounding of my own heart.

“Say, now that that’s out of the way… why don’t we take a nap before we go home?” Belphie suggested; he opened his arms, as if asking for a hug.

I curled into his embrace, relishing in the comfortable warmth of the demon’s body. “Mhm… that sounds good to me,” I mumbled; suddenly I, too, felt terribly drowsy. “Belphie… I love you, y’know?”

He buried his nose in my hair and closed his eyes. “Yeah… I love you too, Aria.”


End file.
